The Long Walk Home
by Jazzerboo
Summary: Tragedy happens at River Bend. Can Sam overcome it? And who will be there to help her out along the way? Please review and let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Sam breathed in the crisp autumn air as she rode over the bridge leading to River Bend Ranch. Her concentration was momentarily broken as her horse Ace gave a buck and tried to break into a lope.

"Guess I'm not the only one enjoying the autumn weather huh boy?"

Ace responded by shaking his head to try to dislodge her grip on the reins. She tightened her grip and made him walk until she crossed the bridge. Once they were across she gave him his head and he broke into a lope. Her stetson flew off of her head and she tilted her head back revelling in the feel of the breeze blowing through her hair. She felt another tug on the reins as Ace tried to break into a gallop. She leaned forward, loosened the reins and whispered in his ear, "Let's go". Ace burst from the rocking horse three-beat lope to an explosive four beat gallop. They galloped across the Playa until they reached War Drum Flats. Sensing Ace beginning to tire, Sam pulled gently on the reins asking him to slow down. Ace slowed to an easy lope then directly to a flat footed walk.

Sam scanned the terrain before her looking for a glimpse of a mane or a flash of legs that would tell her the mustangs were nearby. She noticed a large number of hoofprints that looked like they were recently made.

"It looks like I just missed them" Ace just snorted and flicked an ear back in her direction as he slowly caught his breath. Seeing a strange hoofmark Sam decided to get down to investigate. There was plenty of grass and water so she figured Ace should stay groundtied while she wandered around. She swung her leg over his back and was about to swing down when Ace suddenly shied to one side. Loosing her grip on the saddle, Sam felt herself falling. She landed with a thump on her backside on the desert floor. Ace retreated a few steps then stood with his head up and his ears pointed in the direction of a pile of bush that was up against a rock face. Sam got up slowly and tried to creep her way over to Ace before he decided to try to run away. She was just about to close her hand over the reins dangling from his chin when he suddenly snorted and wheeled away. He burst into a gallop and took off towards River Bend Ranch.

"Ace!" Sam yelled to him hoping he would stop, but she watched him getting smaller and smaller until he finally faded from sight.

"I don't believe this." Sam said aloud. It should have been a perfect day, but of course her mischief maker of a horse decided he would much rather spend his day back at River Bend. It seemed like just when she was starting to think she was getting better at riding, something like this would happen to remind her of the 2 years she spent in San Francisco.

She felt a drop of sweat trickle down her back reminding her that she was stranded in the middle of the desert. How far did she have to walk back to get to River Bend? 4, maybe 5 miles? Deciding she wasn't quite ready to start walking yet, she decided to check out those strange prints she had noticed. It took her a while to find them, but she finally spotted them off to the side of one of the mustang tracks. Upon closer inspection she realized they were cattle tracks.

Some tracker she would be, she thought. She can't even tell a cow print from horseback. She was glad her best friend Jake wasn't hear to laugh at her. Besides being bossy and annoying he was one of the best trackers around. He would likely roll his eyes and declare her a lost cause if he was here right now. Putting that thought out of her head, she took a closer look at the track. It was bigger than the standard track she had seen from River Bends cattle and she noticed that their was only one.

"That's strange" she muttered as she tried to figure out why a cow would be by itself. Cattle were like horses, safety depended on being together. A cow separated from its herd was in serious danger. I bet its a bull, she thought. It made sense, a bull would be bigger than an average cow and if it didn't have a herd of it's own, it would be by itself. Once she came to that conclusion she quickly looked up to make sure there was nothing around. Most of the cattle in this area were scared of humans, but bulls could be dangerous. It wasn't too long ago that she watched while her best friend Jen was gored by a big bull. She tried to ignore the prickle of unease that ran down her spine.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a vehicle approaching. It didn't take her long to realize it was River Bends old truck, and only a little bit longer to see that it was the person she least wanted to talk to driving.

The truck parked at the edge of the lake and Jake got out and leaned against the hood of the truck.

"Got tired of riding?"

Sam fumed as she watched him try to hide a smile.

"Maybe I did! Maybe I decided it was just such a gorgeous day that I would walk for a change."

Jakes smile just got bigger as Sam tried to resist the impulse to pick up a rock and throw it at him. What was it about him that brought out the kid in her?

"So I'm guessing you don't need my help." Jake said as he slowly leaned away from the hood of the truck.

"No Jake, I don't need your help. I am perfectly fine standing out here in the middle of nowhere!" Yep, she thought, theres definitely something about him that brought out the sarcastic side in her anyway.

"Okay" With that one word Jake turned, got back into the truck, turned around and started driving away. Sam watched, mouth hanging open until she realized that he really was leaving her here.

"Wait! Jake!" She screeched, hating the way she sounded like she was begging. When the truck was almost out of sight, the brake lights came on and the truck stopped. Jake got out and turned to look at her. Even from this distance Sam could only make out his outline, but she pictured his mischievous smile and sparkling eyes as he waited for her to catch up.

"Jacob Ely, when I catch you I am going to kill you!" Sam yelled. Jake shrugged, and turned to get back into the truck to drive away again.

"No, wait! I didn't mean it!" Sam yelled again. She felt like her head was going to explode, she was so angry. Jake had reduced her to begging for a ride back. Oh she might not say anything now, but after he had driven her home, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. Even from here, she could hear his laugh as he stopped and waited for her.

"Jake I really hate you right now"

His only answer was another laugh.

"C'mon brat, I don't have all day"

She was plotting all kinds of ways to get revenge when a commotion on the hillside made her look behind. Then, she almost forgot to breathe.

A mass of colour slowly took the form of heads and bodies as a herd of mustangs came rushing down the hillside. They ran towards the water but were stopped up short as a silver stallion ran in front of them. With snapping teeth and flashing hooves, he held them back until he had drank his fill. After that he moved away from the water and watched as the herd mare drove the band into the water. Mares and foals greedily stuck their noses into the cool water. Sam couldn't help the sigh that escaped from her lips as she watched the horses jostling and pawing. At the sound, the Phantom looked over at her. Lifting his head as high as it would go he curved his neck so that his chin almost bumped his chest. He came prancing over to her like one of the Lipizzaner's she had once seen while in San Francisco. He stopped a few feet in front of her and playfully pawed the ground.

Sam closed the distance between them and reached up to touch the top of his neck.

"Zanzibar" she whispered and she ran her fingers over his sleek skin. The phantom took another step closer and rested his head on her shoulder. It was almost as if he were giving her a hug. Sam scarcely dared to move for fear of breaking the contact. Ace had done this many times, but never this majestic stallion. He took a step back and looked as surprised as she at what he had just done. Sam was just reaching up to touch him again when he suddenly stiffened and twirled to look behind him. Sam followed his gaze, but she couldn't see anything.

All of a sudden, he launched his body into a gallop. He was just ordering his herd to move when a huge bull came out of the bushes by the lake. The bull ran full tilt towards the herd. Teeth snapping, both the Phantom and the herd mare drove the horses back up the hillside. The Phantom was in the back driving the herd up the hill as the bull closed in. He focused on the stallion and narrowly missed him as the Phantom bounded up the hill. Sam couldn't help the noise she made as she watched the close contact.

At her sound, the bull twisted around to look at her. Oh no, Sam thought as she watched the bull sizing her up. All of a sudden he pawed the ground then charged towards her.

Sam tried to dodge left, then right, but the bull kept following her movement. She heard a shout behind her, but she knew she was too far away from the truck for Jake to be able to help. Even though she knew that, panic took over and she turned and ran as fast as she could away from the bull and towards Jake. She saw Jake jump into the truck and whip it around towards her. She looked behind and saw that the bull was following and coming up fast. A flash of silver made Sam look towards the hillside. The Phantom came down in a flat out gallop, ears back and teeth bared. His herd was already safe, so he had no need to go after the bull.

In an instant she realized he was coming for her. He was trying to protect her. But he couldn't do anything, the bull was too close. She knew he was going to hit her and she couldn't get away. A split second before he rammed into her the Phantom veered into his path. The bull didn't even try to slow down and the two animals collided 2 feet in front of Sam. She saw both the Phantom and the bull start to fall. She had enough time to whisperer "No!" before hot horseflesh slammed into her. She felt hair and dirt fill her mouth and then the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Jake was checking on an irrigation ditch when he saw a horse that looked like Ace on the horizon. He hopped in the truck and drove slowly towards him, trying not to spook him. He didn't need to worry, Ace looked over at the truck but continued his easy trot home. Jake veered away from the horse and continued in the opposite direction. He had a good idea where Sam was. Pepper had mentioned that he had seen the mustangs out by the lake, and Sam of course, couldn't resist checking it out. He smiled ruefully. That girl was drawn like a magnet to those mustangs. Which probably explained how she was always getting into trouble because of them. Sometimes he thought those horses mattered more to her than her own family. He thought of the look on her face when she was with that white stud and tried to ignore the twinge he felt in his gut. He refused to acknowledge he might be jealous of a horse.

A large pothole jarred him out of his thoughts as he came up to War Drum Flats. He figured Sam was fine, otherwise Ace wouldn't have been so calm. But he bet she was as mad as a wet cat, and his coming to her rescue certainly wouldn't help matters. Even though she was a much better rider than he ever let on, she hated being reminded of the two years she lost while she was in San Francisco.

Yep, he thought, as he drove up to the lake, shes definitely mad. Still, he couldn't resist teasing her and pretending to drive away. When he got out of the truck and waited for her to catch up, he noticed the mustangs coming down the hill. He caught his breath at the sight of the large stallion showing off for Sam. How does she do it, he thought as he watched her run her hand down his neck. He knew she attributed her friendship with the stallion to the ancient Indian stuff he had taught her when the horse was still her colt. But he knew that had nothing to do with it. As good as he and Wyatt were with horses, they were nothing compared to her. She had something special, an ability to know what a horse was thinking sometimes before even the horse knew. How many other girls could summon a wild stallion like some kind of ancient desert maiden? And even though she denied it, he knew she had ridden the horse. He watched as the stallion stepped closer and lay his head over her shoulder. With her white t-shirt and his colouring, they appeared to almost meld together so that you couldn't see where horse left off and girl began.

The spell was suddenly broken as he watched the stallion stiffen, then wheel around watching something that was invisible to the human eye. He saw the herd scatter then saw the bull emerge from the bushes. The next few moments seemed to move in slow motion. He watched the bull focus on Sam and then he was starting to run towards her. He remembered the truck beside him, then wheeled around and threw himself in the cab. He gunned the motor and raced towards Sam. Even as he was putting the pedal to the floor, he knew he wouldn't make it in time. He was forced to watch as the Phantom, trying to protect the girl he loved, raced into the path of the crazed animal. He saw the two animals go down in a mass of dust and flying hooves, then watched as their momentum carried them directly into Sam. She went down under the Phantoms massive body and a haze of dust filled the air.

He slammed on the brakes and was out of the cab before the truck had even stopped. There was so much dust that he couldn't see right away. He heard movement and a scream of pain from the horse. Then the dust settled and he thought his heart would stop. The bull had made it to its feet and was shaking its head. The Phantom was still struggling to rise and finally made it tottering on 3 legs. Blood streaked over the coats of both animals but Jake didn't pay attention. He didn't take his eyes off of Sam and he moved towards her. She lay on the ground not moving.

"Sam! Oh god, Sam answer me!" God, there was so much blood! Her t-shirt was dark with it, and blood covered her hair and face. Ignoring the dangers of the 2 animals thrashing next to him, he reached down and scooped up Sam. He twisted around and tried to make it to the truck as fast as he could. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the Phantom was still struggling to move. In the back of his mind he registered that the Phantom was hurt, and hurt bad, but he only concerned himself with getting Sam to safety. Holding her with one hand he opened the passenger door of the truck and gently deposited her in it. He ran around to the other side of truck and jumped into the drivers seat. He twisted around to get a better look at Sam and her injuries. She had a large gash on her right side, and when he lifted the hem of her t-shirt to inspect the wound, he noticed that her entire right side was swollen and bruised. Internal injuries, he thought, as he used his sweater as a dressing to stop the bleeding. Knowing that she needed a hospital and fast, he did the only thing he could think of. He started the truck and drove.

Later, he couldn't have told anyone about the trip to Darton Hospital. He didn't remember racing down the highway as dusk turned to night. Or hoping that nobody was coming through thread-the-needle at the same time because he wasn't stopping for anyone. All he remembered was praying that Sam would hang on as he raced through the night as fast as the old truck would go. He remembered screeching to a stop in front of the emergency room and running through the doors with Sam in his arms as he screamed for someone to help him. The next few hours passed in a blur. Nurses and doctors crowded around him and put Sam on a bed. They wheeled her into a room and he was told to wait outside. A nurse came out of the room to ask him a couple of questions, then she too disappeared back inside. As the doors swung open and shut, he heard words like "notify the family" and "we need an OR stat!". The full impact of what had happened crashed down on him and he hung his head and prayed.

It was much later when Wyatt, Bryanna, and Grace came rushing through the doors. Wyatt, looking older and whiter than Jake had ever seen him, spared him a glance then went in search of a doctor. He came back only a moment later saying that she was in the OR being operated on. Bryanna let out a gasp and sank into a chair. Grace covered her mouth with both hands as tears welled up in her eyes. Wyatt focused on Jake and said, "Son, you want to tell me what happened?" And Jake began his nightmare story.

It was almost midnight when the doctor came back out of the room. Jen had found out what happened, and was here with her mother and Helen Cody. So was Trudy Allen and her husband Preston. Everyone stood when he came out. Jake tried not to notice the dried blood that stained his scrubs.

"That's Sams blood." He couldn't stop the thought as it ran through his mind and had to grab onto the back of a chair as the world grew dim around him. He concentrated on breathing deeply and started to feel better. He thought to himself, "My God, I almost fainted." He, Jake Ely who faced down gunman, rode home with a broken leg, almost fainted at the sight of a little bit of blood. "But it wasn't just any blood" he thought, it was Sams blood. He heard the doctor ask for family members to follow him as he led them to a secluded spot at the end of the hallway. The three Forsters followed him as the rest waited anxiously behind. Jake turned and followed Sams family as they went down the hall. The doctor frowned at him as he started to give them an update on Sams condition.

"I'm sorry, but this information is just for family members" Jake just lifted his chin higher, daring the doctor to try to keep him away from finding out about Sam. Wyatt recognized the look on Jakes face and said, "it's okay, he can stay" Sparing another quick glance at Jake, he began.

"Sam suffered a lot of injuries. She lost a lot of blood, fractured some bones, and damaged some nerves. She suffered a lot of internal injuries. She had internal bleeding and extensive damage to her spleen. We had to remove it-" Bryanna cried out and Wyatt had to reach out a hand to steady her as the doctor continued.

"Because the animal fell on her, she was trapped under a massive weight even if it was only for a second. Due to that she broke her pelvis and received some damage to her spinal cord"

"Oh god" Grace said as tears welled up in her eyes. "You don't mean that shes-" she broke off not wanting to say the word _paralyzed_. Wyatt closed his eyes and reached a hand out to brace himself against the wall.

"We won't know for sure until the swelling goes down. She may regain the use of her legs but in all honesty, she will probably never be able to walk normally again. But that's a bridge we will have to cross when we come to it. Right now the priority is keeping her stable until her body can begin to heal itself. Like I said she lost a lost of blood. That has created a tremendous shock to her heart and brain. The only thing we can do is wait. The next couple of days are crucial. If she gets through them, she stands a greater chance of recovery. I'll keep you posted on her condition."

With that, the doctor excused himself and went back into the OR.

Finally, Bryanna couldn't handle any more and she collapsed into Wyatts arms sobbing uncontrollably. Grace, too, did nothing to stop the tears that flowed freely down her face. Wyatt turned and helped them both down the hall where Sams friends stood waiting. Jake noticed that the arm Wyatt used to steady Bryanna was shaking. Jake himself felt like he was in a tunnel and everything was coming from far away. He felt raw, like he was on fire and every time he closed his eyes he saw Sam laying on the ground covered in blood.

Somehow they made it to the end of the hall and Wyatt started giving the rest an update on Sams condition. Jake had to look away when Wyatts voice broke while he explained the doctors removing Sams spleen. When he finished, there was silence for a full 5 minutes while everyone tried to deal with what they had just been told. Jen sat down in a chair. Tears flowed down her face and her eyes were full of misery.

"What do we do now?" she whispered to no one in particular.

Trudy sat down in the chair beside her and patted her hand.

"Now...we wait"


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Jake resumed his post outside Sam's room. The doctors were only allowing one person at a time into her room. He was next in line. He stood as Bryanna came out and walked towards her room. As he passed Bryanna she reached out and squeezed his hand. Did she do that because she needed it? Or was she supporting him and what he would see when he walked in there? God knows, he could use all the help he could get. His hands shook as he reached out to open the door. He swallowed audibly as he took a deep breath, braced himself, and walked into the room.

Everything was white and clean looking. Machines hummed and beeped, covering almost every available space around the bed. And in the middle of that bed, was Sam. Jake couldn't help the small gasp that formed in theback of his throat. He barely recognized her. She was so pale, and she looked like she had already lost a ton of weight. She looked small and helpless. But the biggest change Jake noticed was how still she was. He had never realized until this moment how full of life Sam was. Whether she was threatening him, or working with the horses, Sam was always in motion, always enjoying life. Now she lay there not moving. He reached out and took her hand. Even it too was cold, as if all the life had been drained out of it. He covered it with his other hand hoping to warm it up. Finally emotion overtook him and he collapsed into the chair.

"Oh God Sam, I am so sorry" How had he let this happen? After what had happened 3 years ago, he had promised himself he would look out for her. He told himself he would make sure nothing would ever happen to her again. And now look at her. It was all his fault! He should have kept a better eye out. He knew how prone she was for finding trouble. He promised himself if she got through this, he would never let her down again. He didn't care if he had to take up sleeping under her window every night. If she got through this, he would do whatever it took to protect her. But she had to get through this thing first. He couldn't bear it if he lost her. Sam had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. He thought of all the things that were left unsaid. He had never told her how much he admired her spirit,her willingness to stand up for what was right, no matter what the cost. Most importantly he had never told her how much she meant to him, how much a part of his life she was.

He glanced at his watch and saw that his time was almost up. Knowing he couldn't be seen from the door, he leaned forward and brushed his lips across her forehead. He whispered against her ear, "You fight Sam. You hear me? You fight to come back to us. Your family needs you. _I_ need you." With those final words still ringing in the quiet room, he turned around, fought to get a grip on the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him, and walked out the door.

As soon as he walked out the door, Jen jumped up from her chair took his place in Sams room. Jake took a look around him at all of Sams family and friends, everyone who loved her. There had been a constant flow of people coming and going to show their support. Dr. Scott, the vet had taken time out of his busy schedule to stop by, and Sheriff Ballard had already been here twice. Even Ryan Slocum, who Jake had to grudgingly give him credit for, showed up. Now as he looked around, he saw how at a loss everyone was. Bryanna had not stopped crying, Grace looked like she had aged 10 years since the other night, and Wyatt was still not able to focus on anyone or anything. Even calm dependable Dallas had looked like he had no idea what to do. Jake felt the full weight of responsibility come down on his shoulders. It was up to him to be the strong one. He would have to make sure everything and everyone was taken care of. Unfortunately, there was still a ranch to be run, still a barn full of animals that needed constant looking after. He knew the cowboys would take care of most of it, but they deserved a chance to be able to get in here and see Sam. And there was still the issue of the Phantom and the bull. As much as he hated to do it, Jake knew he had to discuss it with Sams father first.

"Wyatt, can we talk?" When Wyatt glanced up, Jake motioned him a little distance from the rest of the people.

"It's about the Phantom and the rogue bull. Someone needs to get that bull off the range before he hurts someone else. And the Phantom was hurt pretty bad, I know Sam-" Jake looked away embarrassed that he couldn't finish the sentence. Wyatt reached out a hand and rested it on his shoulder. Without words he was letting Jake know that he understood.

"Dallas" At Wyatts request, Dallas made his way over to the two of them.

"Dallas, I need you to go out and find that bull for me." Dallas gave a nod and asked, "What do you want me to do with him when I find him?"

"I want you to shoot him." At Dallas' sharp glance, he added, "there's no way I am letting him hurt anyone else." Both Dallas and Jake gave a nod of understanding.

"Jake, I want you to track down that horse and see how badly hurt he is." As Jake turned and started walking down the hall he was brought up short by Wyatts next words.

"And Jake - be sure to bring a rifle" Jake gave a grim nod that he understood. Hehoped it wouldn't come to that, but hefeared it was a strong possibility. If the Phantom was too badly injured, it would be up to him to put him out of his misery.

Jake looked down at the tracks out by the lake. He tried to avoid looking at the dried blood and roughed up dirt that still told the tale of what had happened here. Like the ancient drawings carved into the stone walls of the mountains not far from here its crude picturetold the story, the events leading up to it, and what had happened afterwards on that fateful day to anyone who knew the language. Jake could see where his truck had stopped and he had ran to get Sam out of harms way. He couldn't erase the picture of Sam falling beneath thousands of pounds of animal, the screams of pain and thud of hooves. Looking at it now, he knew she was lucky to still be alive. As big as her personality made her seem, she was just a little thing. He hated the thought of what all that weight had done to those delicate bones. Forcing that image out of his mind, he searched for the Phantoms prints. He quickly picked them up and spurred Witch into an easy lope. The trail was so easy to read, he probably could have followed it blindfolded. His mouth set in a grim line as he analyzed the hoof prints. The Phantom was really hurt. Blood followed the trail and he could tell that the horses right front leg was being dragged along the ground. A horse that injured didn't stand a chance out here. It had already been 2 days and he knew the chance of the stallion still being alive was slim. Nevertheless, he carried on always aware of the rifle scabbard hanging on the saddle. It wasn't long before he noticed that the trail led slowly towards River Bend.

About a mile from the ranch he heard a pack of coyotes sing a hunting cry. Witch snorted and try to veer in the opposite direction but Jake spurred her on towards the sound, bracing himself for what he would find. As he came around the corner, he saw 5 coyotes had pinned the mighty horse against a rock wall. But the stallion didn't look mighty now. His head hung and blood smeared his silver coat as he tried valiantly to stand on three legs and fight off the animals. Each coyote took turns darting in and out, trying to bring the Phantom down once and for all. With snapping teeth the horse was trying to keep them at bay. Both Jake and the pack knew it was just a matter of time before the Phantom finally gave up. Witch snorted and danced in place, years of instinct telling her this was not a place she wanted to be. She didn't hesitate however, when Jake signalled her to ride directly into the commotion. With ears flat back and teeth bared she ran towards the coyotes as Jake gave out a yell. All the coyotes scattered except for one. He growled at the horse and rider hoping to intimidate them into leaving. Jake reached around for his rifle and at the sudden movement the coyote decided it wasn't worth the trouble. He loped off to join the rest of his pack.

Turning back around Jake backed Witch up a few steps to get a better look at Sams horse. The Phantoms head hung almost to the ground and his three good legs shook as they tried to keep him upright. He weaved in place and Jake knew it was only a matter of time before he collapsed. Jake ran through the options in his head. Maybe if he could get a trailer he could somehow load the Phantom into it and take him back to River Bendso the vetcould take a look at him. But he knew as soon as he left to get help the coyotes would be on him. He could see them now, waiting in the distance for Jake to leave. He couldn't leave the beautiful horse to that fate. No, the only thing he could do would be to end the horses misery. He knew he was a good shot, it would bea clean kill and the Phantom would no longer suffer. His hands shook as he reached for the rifle. He quickly loaded a bullet and drew back the bolt, loading the round into the chamber to be fired. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he whispered "Sam, I'm sorry" and raised the weapon to his shoulder.

_**Thanks for the reviews I've gotten so far! As I've said, this is my first time. I've always loved to write and this is my first time showing some of my stuff to other people. This is kind of a test to see if what I'm writing is actually any good, so keep the reviews coming! Both good and bad. I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing wrong. And for those of you who have written the great reviews I have received already, thanks a bunch and keep letting me know what you think of it!!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Jake sighted down the length of the barrel, looking for a good shot. He tried to center on the Phantoms chest, but the horses head was in the way. He started to lean over to the side looking for a good position, when the Phantom suddenly drew in a shuddery breath, lifted his head and looked Jake directly in the eye. Jake knew it was impossible, but it was almost as if the horse was giving Jake permission to do what had to be done. Jake cursed, broke eye contact with the horse and dropped the rifle from his shoulder. He couldn't do it. He couldn't be the one to end this mighty stallions life. He was about a mile from River Bend. Maybe he could get the horse to walk that far. He had to. There was no way he could ever tell Sam that he was the one that had killed her beloved horse. Decision made, he put away the rifle and shook out his rope. At the sight of the rope, the stallion tried to move away. He took two steps then almost fell as his legs started to give out. Jake knew he had to act quick. Once the Phantom fell, it would be game over. He knew he would never get him up again. As fast as he could he reached over and settled the loop over the horses head. The Phantom tried to struggle for a few seconds, but finally exhaustion overtook him and he gave up.Jake maneuvered Witch to a position next to the Phantom and they began the long journey home. 

It was long past dark when the threesome made their way slowly over the bridge leading to River Bend. It had been a long slow journey but the Phantom had made it. Jake had been amazed at his horse. Witch, high-strung and temperamental could rarely be coaxed to pony another horse anywhere. But she had not only allowed it, she even walked beside him, using her body as a wall to keep the Phantom upright during the few times he almost fell. As he reached down to open the gate to the pipe corral, he gave Witch a heartfelt pat on the shoulder. As he rode Witch through the gate, the Phantom tried to plant his feet. He knew he would be trapped once he went into the corral and his survival instinct was trying to prevent him from going in there. But he was too weak to fight and had no choice but to follow Witch into the corral. Once inside, Jake slipped the rope over the horses head, and rode Witch out of the corral. He loosened up her girth, then tied her to the hitching post. She deserved a good rubdown, but that would have to wait until he tended to the Phantom.

Gathering some hay and a bucket of water, he left both items inside the corral along the fence then slowly made his way over to the stallion. At his approach, the Phantom flattened his ears and tried to shake his head at the intruder. That small movement caused him to lose his balance and he fought to keep upright. Realizing he couldn't escape the young man walking towards him, the Phantom tried to bite Jake as he got close. Jake quickly dodged the horses head and moved around to the side to get a better look at the injured leg. The cuts on his body, while nasty looking, had stopped bleeding. As Jakemoved closer to the Phantom,he figured it was the horses shoulder that was injured, not his leg. If he was right, at least it wasn't a broken leg, but a serious shoulder injury could be just as debilitating. Unfortunately Jake knew there wasn't much he could do for him. He needed a vet. 

As he was latching the gate, Dallas called to him from inside the house.Once he walked through the door of the house he was handed the phone. 

"Jake" Wyatts voice mumbled from the other end of the line. "You find that horse?"

"Yeah" Jake rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to mention what he had to say next. "He's pretty mangled."

Wyatt sighed. He didn't need Jake to say anything more. Even with those few words he was able to fill in the blanks. He understood that the stallion had a slim chance of recovery. He also knew that the horse would need vet care. The ranch was barely staying afloat as it was. It certainly didn't need to have good money go down the drain on a horse that was probably a lost cause anyway. Especially not one that was of no use to the ranch. Even though he knew all that Wyatt didn't hesitate.

"The horse probably saved my little girls life. You do what you have to." Jake quickly hung up then looked up the number for Dr. Scott. Even though it was almost 10 o'clock, the young vet didn't hesitate. He said he would be out within a half hour. Jake went out to unsaddle Witch and throw her in the 10 acre pasture while he waited for the vet to arrive. He fought a yawn as he threw Witches tack into the barn. He was dead tired. He had already gone the last 2 days without sleep and tonight was far from over. He was just finishing brushing Witch when the vet drove up. 

For the next hour and a half, Jake worked on dodging the Phantoms sharp teeth as he tried to keep him occupied while the vet worked on him. It wasn't easy. As weak as the Phantom was, he still had Jake digging in his heels as he threw his weight against the rope he had thrown over the Phantoms head. As the vet finally turned away, Jake blew a sigh of relief and loosened up his rope. 

"Well, if he were your average horse, I would recommend putting him down. But hes a range horse. He's used to harsh winters and summer droughts. He's been raised to be much tougher than your standard domesticated horse. That being said, it's still a long shot. He's fractured the bone that runs along his shoulder, broken 3 ribs, lost a lot of blood, and has numerous other injuries. I can give him some painkillers, and clean up those cuts, but other than that, its up to him. The chances are slim but I am willing to wait and see if he's able to pull through. If I find that he's starting to get worse, or that he's in a lot of pain, I'm going to recommend euthanasia."

"Fair enough" Jake said. 

"I just don't get why he did it. You said he wasn't running back towards his herd and I believe you, but it isn't natural for aherd stallion to sacrifice himself for another creature. Course that stallion never acted like a normal horse anyway. Who ever heard of a wild stallion who would let a girl walk up to him and pet him?" Scratching head at the strangeness of the Phantoms actions, hedropped off some bandages, painkillers, and salve for cleaning the Phantoms cuts. He described the care the Phantom was going to need for the next couple of days then made an appointment for a checkup in 3 days. He asked about Sam then hopped in his truck and drove off. 

Jake checked on the Phantom one more time. The horse stood with his muzzle almost in the dirt and the injured leg off the ground. Jake noticed though, that he had drunk a little water and had eaten a small amount of hay. He crossed his fingers, hoping that was a good sign. As he looked at the horses in the 10 acre pasture he sighed. That last thing he felt like doing was saddling Witch and riding home. Just as he was about to open the gate to the pasture, Dallas called out to him from the ranch house. 

"Why don't you leave that mare in the field for the night and I'll give youa drive home in the truck?" Heaving a sigh of relief, Jake switched directions and headed for the truck. 

The next day the doctors moved Sam from the intensive care unit to the recovery ward. Once she was moved the doctors gave another update on her condition. 

"She's stabilized, and her vitals have improved. It's looking good. Even though she's still unconscious, her body has been taking that time to start healing. Now that she's out of the danger zone, I expect she'll be waking up soon. I'm guessing at least a few days, more likely a week." 

This time, all of her family and friends were present for the doctors briefing. At his words, they all let out a cheer. 

"Unfortunately, I also have some bad news. Once the swelling went down around her spine, we were able to get a better look at the damage. There was some serious nerve damage along her 8th and 9th lumbar vertebrae. This means that she will likely be confined to a wheelchair for the first couple of months of her recovery. With extensive therapy she may be able to graduate to a walker or crutches, but that will be as good as you could hope for. She will likely never be able to walk again." 

Everyone was silent as they digested this news. 

"Well, everyone said she was extremely lucky to still be alive, so we're gonna take this as a blessing because it still could have been a lot worse" Grace said. Everyone nodded in agreement, then wandered to their own spots among the halls to try to deal with what they had just been told on their own. After Jake had checked on Sam in her new room, he went outside to his truck and made the drive to River Bend. For the last couple of days he had been dividing his time between visiting Sam, helping the Phantom, and keeping up the training Sam had been doing with Tempest and Dark Sunshine. Jen had been stopping by too, to help with everything, and so had some of Jakes brothers. Jake thanked God for his family. As much as he and his brothers argued, they were there for them as soon as they heard the news. Without being asked they had taken over his chores over at Three Ponies, leaving him free to help out here and stay with Sam. Though he usually loved working with horses, he couldn't wait each day to get out of here. It seemed that everything he looked at reminded him of Sam and he kept expecting her to come out of the barn at any minute hauling a saddle and laughing as she babied Ace. He was surprised at how quiet it was here without her. Even though he worked here for two years while she was in San Francisco, it wasn't as hard to deal with as it was now. They had grown even closer since she had come back from San Francisco and he was surprised at how much he had gotten used to her being here. 

As he had been doing for the past week, he concentrated on his chores. Fortunately for him, there was lots to keep him busy. The Phantom was still in the same condition and he was barely eating. Tempest was proving to be a little hellion, making him appreciate all the more Sams skills in dealing with the frisky daughter of the Phantom. He focused on patiently teaching her to stand still when he tied her to a hitching rail. 

That's it, thought Jake, keep focusing on work, and maybe I'll be able to get through the rest of the week. 

Two days later, Sam woke up. 

_**All right, let me know what you think of chapter 4. Unfortunately there might be a delay in the next chapter coming up. With springtime coming, one of my horses is getting "spring fever". You think Ace is mischievous? You never met Jaz. I've had to spend most of my time "Jaz proofing" the fence so she doesn't get out and go running all over my neighbors yard... Again... So please bear with me while I try to write about one horse and not tear my hair out over another!**_


	5. Chapter 5

At first Sam was very groggy and did not remember anything that had happened to her. It took almost another day before she was clear headed and while she had not remembered the accident that had put her here, Jake and her family knew it was only a matter of time. As Jake walked into her room the next day, he noticed that the rest of her family looked uncomfortable. Sam fixed him with a stare. 

"I remember everything now. I remember you being there Jake. They won't tell me what happened, but I remember the Phantom. What happened to him, is he all right?"

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. Sam saw something flicker across his eyes before he met her gaze. His "mustang eyes" were more gentle and sad than she had ever seen them. Realization dawned on her and she felt something inside her wither and die. 

"No" she whispered. "He's not-"

"He's not dead." Jake hurried to assure her. His next words came haltingly. "But he's really hurt bad. The vet doesn't know if he's-"

Jake broke off his next words but Sam didn't need to hear. She knew what he was going to say. He doesn't know if he's going to make it. Her beautiful, proud horse might die. And it was all her fault! He came back for her. He was trying to protect her, and that's why he's hurt. She hurt, more than she had ever thought possible. The physical pain she was in was nothing compared to what she felt inside. The worst thing was she couldn't even cry for her beloved horse because her ribs hurt too much. She hurt deeply inside, in the same place where she missed her mother. Why did everything she love have to go away? She couldn't do this anymore. She felt as if her heart was breaking. Why do people even get attached to things if this was the end result? Well, I'm not doing this anymore, she thought. I can't deal with this pain. The best thing to do is to not care about anything or anyone. You can't get hurt by the things you love if you don't get attached to anything. She focused on drawing all of her emotions inside. From now on, she would work on not feeling anything. If you couldn't feel then you couldn't hurt. 

Jake watched her take the news. He seen her face crumple as she was about to cry. He had such an urge to reach out to her he had to clench his hands at his side. Giving her a brotherly kiss on the forehead when no one was watching was one thing, but reaching out to hold her while her entire family was watching was another thing entirely. Even knowing that, he was still surprised at how much he wanted to comfort her. He had always been overprotective of her, but this was different. He wanted to do something, anything to get that heartbroken look off of her face. He was trying to figure out where these new emotions were coming from when he saw Sam withdrawing. One minute she was still trying to digest the fact that the Phantom might not survive, then she was pulling back from them. It was like she pulled herself behind a wall.

"I'm feeling really tired right now. Do you mind letting me get some sleep?" Her words sounded cold and hollow and she worked on slowly turning her back to them. 

"Of course dear" Grace said as she ushered everyone out of the room. 

"She just needs some time" Grace said when they were all out in the hallway. The rest of the family nodded in agreement, but Jake wasn't so sure. Something had happened to Sam in there and he didn't think that giving Sam time was going to help. Still, he moved with the rest of the family as they went out to their vehicles and began the long drive home. 

During the next few days Sam refused all visitors. She even refused seeing her parents, until Wyatt, putting his foot down ignored Sams protests and plunked himself down in one of the chairs in her room. After that Sam grudgingly allowed her Dad, Grace, and Bryanna to visit. She still refused to speak to them and turned her back to them whenever they entered the room. The doctors visited frequently, and mentioned that they were very worried about Sams state of mind. 

"She's very depressed and because of that she's not getting better. She still hasn't gained any weight back from the accident and she hasn't applied herself to the physical therapy schedule we've created for her at all. I'm hoping if we let her out of the hospital tomorrow and she's able to be back in an environment that's familiar to her, she might start to improve. You will have to watch her closely. If she doesn't start getting up and moving around, she's risking contracting a secondary illness such as pneumonia."

Bryanna spoke up, "Don't worry, once she's back around horses, I'm positive she'll perk up and start getting better."

The next day, Bryanna turned out to be wrong. As they drove back to River Bend the family could see a crowd of people waiting around the yard for Sam to get home. She didn't move, didn't speak while all of her friends came up to talk to her. She was like a zombie while Wyatt lifted her off of the seat and deposited her in the wheelchair. She didn't thank everybody for coming out, and she didn't comment on the wheelchair ramp Wyatt and the cowboys had spent all night building. Jake knew it was even worse than her family thought when she didn't even acknowledge Ace, who ran along the fence line neighing for her until he sounded hoarse. Sam simply turned around and headed for the house. 

Wyatt caught the confused looks of the people in the yard. 

"She's still trying to adjust", he said by way of explanation. "It's been a long day for her, and she could use some rest." Nodding, everyone turned to leave. Finally it was just Jake and Jennifer left standing out in the middle of the yard.

"Jake - what are we going to do?" Jen blurted out. She caught one of her braids and chewed on it while she waited for him to answer. 

Jake shrugged. "Sam just needs some time."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but that's not Sam in there. It's like Sam disappeared somewhere and all that's left is an empty shell. The Sam I know would never have ignored us the way she did and she most certainly would never have ignored the horses like that!"

Jake just shrugged again and moved off toward the barn.

"Jake Ely, don't pretend like you don't care. I know you better than that. I know you care about Sam just as much as I do!"

Frustrated Jake whipped around, "Of course I care. Sam is - " he broke off and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just don't know what to do." He said in a much quieter voice. "If you have any ideas, I'm all ears."

Disappointed, Jen looked down at the dirt. "No, I don't know what to do." Suddenly she brightened. "But I bet there's research somewhere that talks about whats going on with Sam. She can't be the only one who's acted like this after an accident. Maybe there's something somewhere that can help!" Renewed by her new idea, Jen mounted Silly and rode off toward her ranch. 

Jake sighed as he watched her go. He hoped Jennifer would come up with something but he had his doubts. He didn't think the answer to Sams problems could be found in a book.

Two days later the vet came out to take another look at the Phantom. 

"It's not looking good. He's not eating and he's barely moved from the same spot he was in last time I looked at him. While he doesn't seem to be in too much pain, he's not getting any better. He doesn't even try to snap at me anymore when I'm checking him. I'm leaving tonight for a conference in Reno and I won't be back until the end of the week. If he hasn't improved by then..." Jake didn't need him to finish the sentence. As much as he hated to see the horse destroyed, it was harder to watch him slowly fade away like this. 

"It's too bad. Hard to believe this is the same guy I used to see running through the mountains. What a magnificent horse he was! I was hoping that maybe with Sam home and looking after him now, he would finally be able to relax and concentrate on getting better."

Jake didn't bother to correct the vets statement. He didn't see the point in explaining how Sam refused to even acknowledge the horses existence. According to her family Sam had not even moved from her bed. She still refused to see anybody and she never once asked about any of the horses. 

As he watched the vet drive off, he noticed Wyatt walking across the ranch yard to talk to him. He'd hardly seen Sams dad this past week. Besides looking after Sam, he was also worried about Cody who had been crying and unable to keep his food down for the past week. 

"Hey Jake, I need to ask you a favour." Jake didn't say anything, just waited for him to continue. 

"We got an appointment witha doctor in town for Cody. Problem is, we'll be gone 2 days. Grace is willing to stay here, but she's had a trip planned with some friends for the last 2 months and I'd hate for her to miss it. I already talked to your Mom and she can watch over Sam through the nights, but I need someone to check on her through the day. I was hoping you might be willing to do it." Surprised by his long speech, Wyatt leaned against the barn door as he waited for Jakes answer. 

"Yeah, I can do it." Wyatt let out the breath he'd been holding and gave a relieved smile. 

"Thanks, Jake. We're leaving early tomorrow morning."

"I'll be there."

Jake gave a sigh and wondered what tomorrow was going to bring. He had to admit, he was looking forward to seeing Sam again, even if she wanted nothing to do with him. Well, whether she wanted to see him or not she didn't have a choice tomorrow. And he was going to find some way to get Sam out to see her horses. He had a feeling if she could just see them then they would break through that shell she had created around her. He didn't care if he had to pick her up and carry her kicking and screaming out to the barn. Somehow, he would find a way to help her. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Jake rode up to the ranch as Wyatt, Bryanna, and Cody were getting ready to leave. 

"Dallas and the crew are going to be getting all the ranch work done, so all you've gotta do is relax and help Sam if she needs it. And if you happen to think of some way to get her up and moving around..." Wyatt shrugged as if he had run out of ideas and was hoping Jake might have some tricks up his sleeve to get Sam out of her current mood. 

Jake just nodded and waved good-bye to them as they drove out of the yard. He led Witch over to the barn to untack her. As he was walking, he couldn't help but glance up at Sams window. He dreaded going up there. He hated to admit it, but it hurt that Sam wanted nothing to do with him. Sighing he led Witch out to the 10 acre pasture and braced himself for what he had to do next. 

Sam heard her parents drive off. She heard Jake talking to Witch as he led her across the yard. She didn't want him here. She wished he would go away. She wished everyone would just leave her alone. She heard the front door open then Jakes boots as he walked through the kitchen. 

"Sam?" She briefly considered pretending she was asleep but figured she might as well get this over with. She waited for him to make it down to her room. Suddenly he was in her doorway, his broad shoulders almost blocking out the light from the hall. He stood there watching her with an unreadable gaze.

Whats he thinking? she thought. Does he see the same thing that I see whenever I look in the mirror? An invalid, a burden to her family. She was useless to them on a ranch that required everyone to contribute. Even getting dressed in the morning was a challenge now. She scoffed when she thought about that day. She had been so mad at the long walk home she had when Ace deserted her. God how she wished she could walk that distance now! In a way, it seemed like she was still out on that Playa, still trying to get home. 

She noticed Jake was still watching her. Raising her chin, she forced herself to meet his eyes. It seemed to be the moment he was waiting for. He cleared his throat and straightened from the doorway. 

"It's starting to rain outside. Looks like we got a big storm coming. I'm thinking in about and hour or so, I'll make some soup."

"I'm not hungry." 

Jakes eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "I'm gonna make some soup and you're gonna eat it. And you are going to eat it downstairs."

Realizing Jake was serious, Sam figured she could give in on at least part of what he said.

"Okay, I'll have some soup but I am eating it up here."

Jake spoke slowly as if she wasn't comprehending.

"You will eat the soup and you will eat it downstairs. I don't care if I have to carry you or not, but you will eat at the kitchen table."

God, he could be so infuriating! Sam thought as she stared at him. He would do it too, he would drag her out of bedif she didn't come down herself. Shewas so mad, she could barely grind out the word.

"Fine." 

Jake was thoughtful as he turned to leave. For a second, just a second, he had seen the old spark come into her eyes. Almost as soon as it happened, he could see her fighting to get a grip on her emotions. A moment later she had turned back into the robot she had been for the last few weeks. So, Jake thought wryly, all I have to do is torment her to the point that she wants to kill me. Maybe that would be enough to break her out of the melancholy she's been in. Even though he thought it jokingly, he knew that if that was what it took, then he would have to risk losing Sams friendship. As much as he valued her friendship, he valued her life more. And what she had now, could not be considered any kind of decent life. 

As he walked into the living room, he heard the wind lash rain against the windows. The whole house shook as a huge gust of wind raged through the ranch yard. He took a quick look outside to make sure the horses were alright then with a sigh he got out the soup to heat on the stove. 

As he shut the burner off, Jake yelled up to Sam. He figured he would give her about 15 minutes before he went up to drag her out of her room. 10 minutes later Sam wheeled her wheelchair up to the kitchen table. Jake poured 2 bowls and set them on the table. He had taken a couple of bites when he realized that Sam was slowly turning her spoon through the bowl, not eating anything. 

"Playing with your food does not constitute eating it." 

Sam gave Jake a scathing glance but reached in a took a spoon full. Satisfied, Jake concentrated on his own meal. As he finished the sky let loose and he heard a deluge of rain come down upon the roof. 

"You're lucky it's raining or you would have been out there with the horses today"

"And what would that accomplish?" Sam asked in a distant tone.

"Maybe it would have shown you what you're missing by being cooped up in here all day. You don't seem to know how lucky you-"

"Yeah, right" scoffed Sam. "Lucky. That's me."

"Yes, Sam you are. Do you realize how close you came to not coming back to here? You're very lucky. You could have died out there-"

"Well I wish I had of!" Sam yelled. As soon as she said the words she wished she could take them back. It had been in the back of her mind since the accident but she had never voiced those thoughts to anyone. She forced herself to look up at Jake when the silence had gone on too long. 

Jake had sucha look of shock on his face, Sam would have thought it comical if the situation had not been so serious. Fighting to get a grip on his emotions, Jake concentrated on clearing the table. With robotic movements he picked up his bowl and took it over to the sink. 

When Sam could not stand the silence any longer, she whispered, "Jake? Say something."

Jake turned back around and braced his hands on the table. 

"Well I for one am glad you didn't. And so is your family and all your friends. Now if only we could get you to feel the same way..." Jake broke off from his quiet statement and picked up Sams bowl to take over to the sink.

Sam felt herself getting angry again. Why did everyone have to tell her how she should feel?

"Look Jake, I'm fine. Why don't you and everyone else just leave me alone. I am doing just fine on my own."

With a roar, Jake threw the bowl against the wall. It shattered on impact sending shards of glass and soup flying. Sam gave a shriek and cowered against the back of her chair. She looked up at him with terrified eyes. She didn't know what to think or do. Jake had never acted like this before. She had seen him angry before, but never like this. When he was angry he usually became quieter, more still. Now he was in a rage. He fought to drag in deep breaths as he glared down at her with eyes more narrow and fierce than she had ever seen. 

When had Jake gotten so big? Sam wondered as she stared up at him. Standing almost 6 feet tall he was no longer the boy she thought of him as. With broad shoulders that lookeda mile wide, he blocked out the kitchen light as he leaned over her. Constant ranch work had worked away any excess weight and his arms and shoulders were full of muscle. Standing there like that he gave the impression of power, and suddenly Sam understood why Linc Slocum had always backed down from any confrontation with him. She also now understood why he was one of the most respected guys at school. Standing there angry like that, he was a force to be reckoned with and Sam could not picture anyonewanting to get in his way.Even though she thought all this, she was not scared of him. Angry as he was, she knew that this was still Jake andthat he would never hurt her. She was contemplating what that meant, that she knew she could still trust him, even when he looked as strong as terrifying as he did now, when she realized he was yelling at her. His deep voice echoed off the walls and she tried to focus on what he was saying. 

"Oh sure, you're getting along just great. Well, maybe you should think about someone else for a change! Maybe you should think about what it feels like to be just thrown away like a piece of garbage. Maybe you should think about what it feels like to be let down. You have animals that depend on you here. Did you ever think about that? Do you ever think about the Phantom out there, slowly wasting away to nothing? That horse risked his life for you and you can't even be bothered to go out and say 'Thank You'! He's out there slowly dying and you might be the only one that can help him. But you can't be bothered to go out there. He's going to die and it's going to be your fault!" 

Jake broke off and struggled to get his breathing under control. He was angry, angrier than he could ever remember being. He looked down at Sam and realized what he had just said. He wished he could take it back. Sam looked shocked. She looked like she had just been slapped in the face. 

"Sam" Jake whispered reaching out to her. Sam shrunk away as if she was scared of him. Without a word, she turned around and wheeled as fast as she could back to her room. 

I was wrong, thought Sam as she raced for the sanctuary of her room. That wasn't Jake. Jake would never say those hurtful things to her. She thought she had walled herself off from her feelings, but his words hurt more than she ever could have thought. The poor Phantom she thought. That big beautiful horse was going to die. And according to Jake it was her fault. Desperately she fought to get a grip on the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She dragged herself onto her bed and wished for sleep to come. Anything to stop her from feeling this pain. 

Way to go, thought Jake as he cleaned up the broken pieces of glass from the kitchen floor. What a great way to get her to feel better. Just yell at her and terrify her. That will make everything better. He thought of the look on her face as he had said those hurtful things. She looked like he had just slapped her. Her eyes had gotten wide and she had gone so pale he thought she had been about to faint. Why had he said those things? He was never the type to just blurt out his feelings. But he had also never lost control like that before. Only Sam, he thought. Only Sam could make him loose control like that. Sure he had been angry before, but it had been a cold and calculating anger. The only time he had ever felt that white hot rage was when it involved Sam. What was it about her that made him lose control like that? Well it doesn't matter now he thought grimly. The words had been said, and he doubted Sam would ever forgive him. He wanted to go straight up to her room and apologize, but he knew she needed time. As he finished cleaning up the mess he had made, he sat down at the kitchen table. 

Over an hour later he was shaken from his brooding by the telephone ringing. He hadn't moved a muscle since he sat down and as he moved to get the phone, he felt various aches make themselves known. He snatched up the receiver hoping that it had not awakened Sam if she was up there sleeping. 

"Yeah?"

"Jake, honey, I'm running really late, and I'm not going to be able to make it out there for 7. I probably won't be able to get out there until about 10 o'clock. Is that okay?" Jakes mother paused to take a breath as she waited for Jakes answer.

"Yeah, sure. That's no problem." 

Mrs. Ely said a quick thanks, then hung up the phone. Great, thought Jake. He wasn't one to believe in Gods, or fate, but it certainly seemed like someone up there was punishing him for the things he said. All he had wanted to do was get out of there before he blurted out anything else, but now he would have to bestuck here most of the night. Well, at least that gave him an excuse to talk to Sam he thought. He made his way up to her room to let her know his Mom was running late. 

"Sam, I gotta talk to you." Not really expecting an answer he rapped lightly on the door to her room.

"Hey Sam?"There was still no answer from the other side of the door. A huge gust of wind came up and rattled the house, reminding him of the storm raging outside. He hoped there was no flooding or damage anywhere. He figured after he talked to Sam he would run out to the bunkhouse and see if any ofthe guys needed a hand with anything. He realized that he had still not heard any movement from the inside of Sams room. Figuring she was sleeping he gave another light wrap on the door, then pushed it open. Almost as soon as he noticed that Sam wasn't there, he saw that her wheelchair was missing also. Ignoring the prickle of uneasethat ran down his spine, he told himself she was probably just in the bathroom. He retraced his steps until he came to the bathroom. That too, was empty. Trying to ignore the feeling of panic that was welling up inside him, he quickly did a search of all therooms in the house. Sam was nowhere to be found.


	7. Chapter 7

Where was she

Where was she? Jake thought in panic. She wasn't in the house, so she must have snuck outside. Not bothering with a rain slicker, Jake opened the door and battled to close it in the high winds. He looked down at the ground as he leaped off the porch trying to follow her trail through the deep mud. He couldn't see anything, the rain was coming down in a torrent, washing away everything. He looked up hoping to see her, but he couldn't see anything through the darkness. Praying that she was in the shelter of the barn, he ran through the rain trying to stay upright in the slippery mud. As he was almost to the barn he heard a sharp crack followed by a chain of lightening that illuminated the whole ranch yard. Seeing something over by one of the corrals, Jake switched directions without slowing down. As he got closer another lightening strike illuminated an object next to the pipe corral.

Sams wheelchair, Jake realized. Fear made an icy hole in his chest as he thought of Sam out in this storm, all alone. As he slipped between the bars of the corral, he made out the figure of the Phantom. And there, underneath him, was Sam. Like a big grey watchdog, the Phantom stood over Sam, protecting her as much as he could from the storm that raged directly over their heads. Sam lay curled up at the horses feet, sobbing.

"I am so sorry! It's all my fault! But I promise you, I'll make it better. We'll get through this." The Phantom reached down to nuzzle her shoulder as though he understood her words. He seemed to be telling her that everything was all right.

Jake approached the two slowly, mindful of the Phantoms teeth and hooves. He reached down to gather Sam up, bracing himself in case the horse decided to attack. But the Phantom just watched as Jake picked her up and gathered her close. Seeming to know that she was okay now, the horse turned and made his way limping slowly to the small shed in the middle of the corral. Jake turned and made his way over to the gate. Sam was soaked through and huge shivers wracked her body. She kept whispering "I'm sorry" over and over. As another shiver went through her, Jake gathered her as close as he could to his body, trying to give her whatever heat he could. He half ran, half walked through the slippery mud and raging winds, trying to get back to the house as quick as possible.

Sam collapsed inside the pipe corral, crying. She thought her heart was going to break in half. She had just used every ounce of strength she had dragging herself from her wheelchair to the inside of the pipe corral. The wind lashed around her, and she had already started shivering from the cold mud that soaked through her sweatshirt and jeans. She felt something looming over her, and she looked up into the face of the Phantom. Even in the dark, she could tell that he was in rough shape. She curled into a ball at his feet and gave into the misery that was overwhelming her. She was so stupid! She thought if she could just block everything out then she wouldn't be able to feel this pain. For these last few weeks she had even convinced herself it was working. Who was she kidding? She had been miserable all this time and she was just to stubborn to realize it. The only thing she had succeeded in doing, was hurting the ones she loved. She thought of Jen and Jake, of her family. Would they ever forgive her? She would make it up to them, she had to. But first, she had to get back to the house. She was so cold! Shivers wracked her body and her teeth chattered. She tried to move, but realized she was too weak. She kept getting colder and colder. She was at the point where all she wanted to do is go to sleep. Hypothermia, she realized. She was going to die out here. No one knew where she was or that she was even gone. It figures she thought. I finally understand, I finally decide to change, and now I am going to die out here. She curled even tighter into a ball to try to conserve whatever heat she had left. She cried even harder and apologized to her once magnificent horse.

All of a sudden she felt a shadow move over her. She glanced up to see Jake looking down on her. Hands gentle, he gathered her up in his arms and started towards the house. She could feel the heat of his body through her wet clothes and with a sigh, she curled towards him. She felt protected, safe, bracketed against his strong body as he carried her through the storm to shelter. She relaxed her head against his shoulder and felt, for the first time in a long time, content.

Jake shifted Sam slightly as he reached out to open the door. It wasn't hard to do. She was so light! He could feel her ribs even through the thick sweater she wore. He had never thought of Sam as fragile, but that's exactly what she felt like in his arms. Like a little kitten, she was curled up in his arms, with her head pillowed on his shoulder. He was thinking he kinda liked the feeling of her curled up against him like that when another shiver wracked her body, reminding him of the dire situation she was in.

He quickly walked to the living room and deposited her on the couch. He went to the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the wall. He was just about to dial the number for the hospital when he realized there was no dial tone. He thought about driving her, but that would be even worse. He knew the truck heater would never put out enough heat to warm her up.

All right, he thought. It will have to be up to me. He walked back into the living room to get a better idea of her condition. Sam lay curled up on the couch and every so often a huge shiver would shake her body. She was incredibly white and there was a bluish tinge around her lips. Having grown up in Nevada all his life, he had a good understanding of hypothermia. He knew if he could warm her up she would be all right. He quickly started a fire in the fireplace and piled on a bunch of wood to get it blazing as quickly as possible. He twisted back around to Sam. After lifting the hem of her sweatshirt to make sure she was wearing something underneath, he quickly pulled it over her head. He figured she would warm up quicker if he got rid of the cold and wet sweater. He reached around for the blanket hanging on the chair next to him. As he twisted back around to put it over Sam he froze.

Underneath the sweater Sam wore a light tank top. Now the tank top was soaking wet and plastered to her skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Against his will, Jake ran his eyes down the length of her. God! When had Sam turned into such a - a - well ... a woman? he thought. He had never before really thought of Sam as a woman, she had always just been his best friend. But now, looking down at her, for the first time he seen her as the opposite sex. She was really beautiful he thought in shock. With her extremely pretty face and great body, he now understood why a lot of the guys had the hots for her at school. Even his good friend Darrell called him 9 kinds of a fool for not getting involved with Sam. As he continued to watch Sam, he wondered if her lips felt as soft as they looked. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out one good reason not to bend down and find out.

Just then another shiver wracked her body and Jake broke out of his thoughts to focus on the situation in front of him. Knowing body heat was one of the best ways of fighting hypothermia, he quickly picked Sam up and sat down on the couch. He set Sam down on his lap and wrapped the blanket around the both of them. Wrapping his arms around her he gathered her close and leaned back against the couch. All of a sudden he felt exhausted. With Sam in his arms he closed his eyes and slept.


	8. Chapter 8

Jake woke slowly to a chill in the room. The fire had burned down to almost nothing. Moving slowly, trying not to wake Sam, Jake got up off the couch and moved to the fireplace. He quickly built up another fire. Looking at the wood left over, he knew he didn't have enough. Checking on Sam, he noticed she was no longer shivering and her skin had a rosy tint to it. He turned and made his way outside to the large wood pile. Gathering enough to last the night, he deposited it in the porch to dry out. As he made his way back into the living room he heard Sam shift.

"Jake?" Sam called out hesitantly.

"I'm right here." Sam twisted around to look at him as he came to stand over the couch. Sam took a deep breath. What she had to say wasn't easy, but she had to say it nonetheless. She gestured for Jake to take a seat on the couch with her. Jake hesitated, and for a second Sam thought he was going to refuse. But then he perched himself on the edge of the couch in front of her.

"Jake-" Sam fought back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes. She knew if she started crying Jake would be gone. He hated tears, and did everything he could to avoid being around anybody who was shedding them. Clearing her throat she lifted her chin and began again.

"I want to apologize for the way I've treated you. You were right, I turned my back on everything that was important. I just figured that maybe if I didn't involve myself in anything that mattered, then I wouldn't feel this-" Sam broke off, lost in thought for a few moments. Jake didn't say anything, just kept watching her. She continued again.

"I was stupid. When I thought of how I treated everyone... Well, I don't blame you if you don't want to be my friend anymore. You are one of my closest friends Jake Ely, and when I think of how I treated you...I'll understand if you are not willing to forgive me." Sam broke off. The thought of losing Jake as a friend was unbearable, but she had brought it upon herself. Jake still hadn't said anything and Sam forced herself to meet his eyes.

There was something unreadable in his eyes as he watched her. Suddenly he lowered his head and his lips touched Sams.

At the first contact of his lips, Sam froze. She scarcely dared to breathe. This was Jake Ely! Her friend since she was old enough to have friends. And he was kissing her! A shiver went through her and she realized that she liked this feeling. His lips were soft and warm and they brushed lightly against her own as if encouraging her to reciprocate. Experimentally she tilted her head and moved her lips against his. She was rewarded with a deep groan from Jake as he gathered her against his body. She was deciding she really liked the feel of his strong body against hers when Jake suddenly broke away.

Panting he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"J-Jake?" Sam stuttered as she looked up at him. Jake opened his eyes and looked down at her. He smiled slightly and was just about to speak when they both heard a car pull in the driveway. Half a second later Jakes mother fought to keep the door from being blown off its hinges as she tried to get inside. Jake jumped off the couch and ran to help his mother.

"Hey kids, sorry I'm late. I just got dragged down with work and I couldn't get away until just now." She came into the living room and noticed Sam laying on the couch.

"Sam! It's getting pretty late. You should be up in bed. Where's your wheelchair so we can let you get some rest?"

"Uh," Jake said uncomfortably, "it's still outside."  
"Outside? Whats it doing outside?"

Sam noticed Jake was looking really uncomfortable trying to figure out what to tell his mother. Sam decided she would cut him some slack.

"It's okay, Mrs. Ely. I went out to look at the horses. But the mud was too thick and it started pouring out, so Jake grabbed me and we ran back to the house."

Jake gave her a half smile of thanks.

"I'll run and grab it now."

"If you don't mind, Mrs. Ely, I would really like to sleep here tonight." Sam was suddenly sick of her room and the thought of going back there was depressing.

"I don't see why not" Jakes mom said.

They both heard the outside door open and then Jake made his way over to the two with the wheelchair in tow.

"It's a little bit wet, but it should dry in front of the fireplace in no time." Jake checked to make sure they had everything they needed, then rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now." Sam didn't want him to leave but she knew there was no way she could convince him to stay. He looked like a penned mustang who wanted nothing more than to escape. As he turned to walk out he door Sam called his name softly.

"Jake? Thanks. For everything." Jake turned and held her eyes for a second. Then he gave a slight nod and walked out the door.

The next day Jake arrived bright and early. Sam wheeled herself onto the front step as she watched Jake ride up. Thinking she would spend all night tossing and turning, she surprised herself by falling immediately to sleep. As she watched him untack Witch and put her out with the rest of the horses, she felt anxious about going to talk to him. She didn't know what to say to him or whether she should bring up what happened. All she really wanted to do was go back to her room and hide until he left. I spent the last few weeks hiding in my room and look where that got me Sam thought miserably.

Deciding to "cowgirl up" she wheeled down the ramp and across the ranch yard. She slowed to a stop in front of the barn and waited for Jake to catch up.

"Uh, hi Jake."

Jake mumbled a reply and pretended to busy himself fixing a broken rein. Neither was willing to meet the others eyes and for a couple of minutes an uncomfortable silence filled the barn. What's wrong with me? thought Sam. This is Jake. I've known him all my life and all of a sudden I don't know how to talk to him? Sam was hoping she could count on Jake to help her get back on her feet, both figuratively and literally. But she couldn't expect any help from him if he continued to act like he wanted to run as far from her as possible. For a second she wished last night had never happened, but then she thought of the feel of Jakes lips on hers and a delicate shiver ran through her body.

"Are you cold?" Jake asked concerned.

Sam blushed and shook her head. She knew sometimes Jake could almost read her mind and she prayed that this wasn't one of those times. She definitely did not want him to know what was going through her head. Desperate to change the subject, Sam asked if she could see her horses.

Seeming to be relieved to have something to do, Jake led Tempest and Ace up to the fence so Sam could touch them. Both horses were excited to see her and crowded up against the fence. Sam had to fight back tears as Tempest squealed a welcome then tried to push Ace out of the way to see Sam first.

Horses are so forgiving she thought sadly. I've neglected them and ignored them, but here they are happy to see me. After spending a couple of minutes with them Sam reluctantly left them to go over to the pipe corral. She dreaded seeing the Phantom in the daylight where she could take in the full extent of his injuries. As she moved up next to the corral the Phantom spotted her. Nickering deep in his throat he slowly hobbled over to the fence to stand beside her.

"Oh Zanzibar" she whispered. The horse she looked at now was totally different from the once magnificent stallion who used to rule the range. His once silver coat was now a dull grey and spotted with dirt and grass. His long thick mane and tail were hopelessly tangled and his head hung down almost to the ground. You could count his ribs and his hip bones were sticking out. He lifted his injured foreleg off the ground and rested his body against the fence next to Sam.

Sam reached through the rails and rested her hand on his side. At the gentle touch, the Phantom sighed and his body relaxed. He reached out his neck to get the hay that was a few feet in front of him. Munching slowly, the horse and the girl stayed like that for hours.

They were interrupted by the arrival of the vet. With a groan, Jake realized that this was the day the vet was due back. This was the day he was going to put down the Phantom. He dropped the pitchfork he had been using and made it to the corral just in time to hear the vet comment on why he was here to Sam who was on the outside of the fence. With an outraged sound, Sam fumbled with the gate and then wheeled herself into the field. She planted herself firmly between the vet and the horse. Jake caught his breath at the dangerous situation she was in. Even though the Phantom was injured, he could still hurt someone quite easily. And with Sam unable to move fast...

Apparently the vet had come to the same conclusion. He was advising her to get out of the paddock while he tried to manoeuvre into a position between her and the horse. Sam simply folder her arms and gave him a glare.

As serious as the situation was Jake had to hide a smile. Sam was back! This was the Sam he remembered, the one who was willing to fight tooth and nail for the horses she loved.

"You are not killing this horse!" Sam yelled at the vet.

"Look Sam, he's not getting any better. I have to say, he does look more relaxed than I've seen him so far, but that's not enough. There's a time when you have to say it's over. That there's nothing more you can do."

Alerted by the loud voices, the Phantom made his was over to stand just inches away from Sam. She didn't even seem to notice the hundreds of pounds of animal dangerously close as she attempted to bargain with the vet.

"Give me another two weeks. I know I can help him get better. I just need time."

As the Phantom took another step closer, the vet tensed. Worried about Sam, he quickly tried to reach out and drag her away from the stallion.

As he reached his hand out, the horse flattened his ears and bared his teeth. Quicker than the young vet would have thought possible, the horse jumped forward and snaked his head out, snapping at the vet.

Surprised the vet leaped backwards. Shaking his head, the Phantom advanced on the vet and Jake. The two men took the hint and began moving slowly away.

"Sam? You better start moving over here." Jakes voice held no room for argument as he watched the angry horse. Sam wheeled slowly out of the pasture to the gate where the two were waiting.

"Of all the fool things to do! Sam do you realize you could have been seriously hurt? What were you thinking-" Jake broke off when he noticed the vet examining his arm.

"Did he get you?"

"No" the vet said, "but he came close." He moved his arm so they could both see the jagged rip in his shirt sleeve. Sighing he looked at Sam.

"I don't think he would have hurt you intentionally, in fact I think he was trying to protect you. But he still could have bumped into you by accident. It was a dangerous thing you did, getting in front of a wild stallion like that. Promise me you won't do anything like that again."

Without waiting for an answer, the vet went on.

"Now, about the horse. I'll give you one more week. If he improves in that week, then I'll give you another week. Then we'll go from there. And if he does not improve, I'll have to put him down. It would be the best thing for him."

Looking at Sam to make sure she understood, he nodded to Jake then hopped in his truck and headed back towards Alkali.

Sam tried not to get too excited. She knew the Phantom had only been given a temporary reprieve. It was up to her to make sure he started getting better. And, she discovered, she was more than up for the challenge.


	9. Chapter 9

_**All right, I've pretty much run out of steam when it came to this chapter. I'm thinking I've got enough left for 1, maybe 2 more chapters. This chapter is mostly just fluff, but hopefully the next one up should be better. **_

In the days that followed, Sam worked hard at redeeming herself. She apologized to all of her family and friends. She expected everyone to make her work for their forgiveness, but she was pleasantly surprised when everyone was so glad to have her back, they totally ignored the rough treatment she had given them over the past few weeks.

Gradually, as the days past, Sam and Jake slipped back into their old ways of friendship. They were once again comfortable working around each other. Neither one had ever mentioned what had happened that stormy night to anyone. In fact, it was almost as if it had never happened. Sam however, would sometimes find herself watching Jake without realizing it. At those times Sam would quickly blush and turn her eyes away. She would look around guiltily, making sure no one had noticed.

There were times too, when Sam would feel eyes on her and she would look around to find Jake watching her. She tried to convince herself he was just looking out for her, making sure she didn't get hurt. But there was something in his gaze that made her doubt that, something that sent tingles down her spine. At those times she would busy herself with work, trying to convince herself it was all in her imagination.

And there was plenty of work to do. First, her family tried to stop her from doing anything, but she convinced them that she wanted to work, had to work. She was incredibly weak at first, tiring after only an hour or so. Gradually her muscles built themselves back up and she was able to work for longer periods of time. She threw herself into her physical therapy and was rewarded with a slight feeling coming back into her legs, which after only a week was great progress.

Most of her time was spent by the Phantoms corral. After being forbidden to enter the stallions fence, she spent long hours outside it with her hand on his side. She would also spend time slowly wheeling around the fence line while the Phantom limped along beside her. The gentle exercise worked great for both of them. The horse gently worked the injured shoulder, strengthening the muscles and helping the bones to mend. For Sam, the constant work of moving her wheelchair helped her develop strong muscles in her arms and shoulders.

After just a week there was a noticeable improvement in both of them. Sam hoped that it would be enough for her horse. Today was the day the vet was coming out to decide whether the Phantom lived or died.

She fidgeted impatiently while she waited for the vet to arrive. At first she planned on spending the time next to the Phantoms corral. The plan was changed when the Phantom, picking up on her nerves started getting restless. Worried that he might hurt himself, she wandered around the ranch yard looking for something to do. Hearing hoofbeats in the round pen, she made her way over there to investigate.

Jake worked a pinto mare at a slow jog in the pen. Sam watched the two intently through the rails of the pen. At Jake attempted to put her into a lope, the mare suddenly humped her back and started bucking. Jake brought her back down to a jog and tried again. He continued again and again until after about 20 minutes the mare broke into a hesitant lope. Praising her, Jake kept her going for a few minutes then signalled her to slow down. The horse went from the lope to a stiff legged jog, then finally to a walk. Jake dismounted then loosened up the mare girth. He turned and led the horse out of the pen. Seeing Sam on the other side, Jake stopped in front of her.

"Do you think you can cure her?"

"Sure, it will just take some time." Jake paused for a minute and regarded her thoughtfully. "Any idea why she does that?"

Sam knew he was just trying to keep her occupied until the vet came, but she appreciated it all the same.

"Um, I'm thinking that she was probably kicked to jump into a lope, then when she did someone hauled on her reins to slow her down. So she learned to avoid going into a lope at all costs."

Sam felt proud at Jakes nod of approval. Just then the vet drove over the bride leading to River Bend. Sam tensed and all her worries came crashing back down on her again.

"Easy Brat" Jake nodded to her hands which were turning white from being clasped together so hard. Sam forced herself to relax then followed the vet on his way over the the Phantoms pasture. She heard Jake tie the mare to the hitching post, then he was walking beside her. Sam was glad for his support. If the vet decided- she closed her eyes briefly. She didn't know what she would do. He just had to decide to allow the Phantom to live, he had to!

Sam waited outside the gate barely daring to breath. She had never felt this scared since the day the accident happened. Jake touched her shoulder briefly, then followed the vet into the fence. They looked over the Phantom, then talked in low voices. Just when Sam thought she couldn't take it anymore, they turned and walked towards her.

"Congratulations Sam, looks like you were right." Sam pumped her fists in the air at the vets statement. She did it! The Phantom was going to live!

The vet began explaining the care the horse would continue to need, then made an appointment for the same day next week to check on him again. Once he left Sam pumped her fists in the air again. She made her way over to the Phantom to tell him the good news.

During the next few weeks time flew by. After the first week, the vet gave Sam the go ahead to continue working with the Phantom. The next week, Sam and her dad made the trip into Darton to see the doctor. He congratulated her on her improvement over the last two weeks, and gave her a set of braces that ran from her hip down to her ankle. He explained to her how to use them and said it would probably take a while before she could actually walk with them. Sam was ecstatic. She couldn't wait to try them out.

That night it was decided that Sam should start back to school. Jen had been bringing home her homework each day so that she wouldn't fall too far behind, but now it was time for Sam to go back. She barely slept that night worrying over what would happen tomorrow.

Instead of being picked on, Sam was welcomed hugs and best wishes by almost everybody in the school. The only problem she ran into was in the cafeteria. She had just sat down to eat lunch with Jen. Jake, Darrell, Jakes brother Quinn, and a bunch of their friends were a couple of chairs down.

"Samantha, you are looking hot in that sweater!" Darrell called in his customary greeting. Sam stuck her tongue out at him and continued eating.

Just then two boys walking down the aisle made a cruel joke about Sam that was loud enough for everyone to hear. Before Sam had a chance to react, Jake leaped up out of his chair to block the two boys way. He was quickly followed by Darrell, Quinn, and Jen. The smiles fell off the boys faces as the looked at the group blocking their way. One of the boys tried to go around them but Jake quickly moved to block his way. Sam became aware of the silence in the cafeteria. Everyone was watching to see what would happen. The two boys turned and mumbled an apology to Sam.

"I didn't hear that" Jake said in a low voice.

The boys said they were sorry loud enough for everyone to hear. Satisfied, Jake and his friends moved out of the way to let the boys pass. As they guys sat down again, Quinn gave Sam a wink and Jake watched her until she gave him a shaky smile to tell him she was okay. The rest of the day passed uneventfully and Sam looked forward to going home and working with the horses.

Her week continued like that. She worked hard with the new braces the doctor gave her. At first the going was slow. But she improved gradually, strengthening her muscles as she did endless laps around the Phantoms corral. One day as she was walking, the Phantom grew tired of the slow pace. Tossing his head, the stallion broke into a lopsided trot. Sam was overjoyed. Ignoring the rules, she opened the gate and walked up to the Phantom. She threw her arms around his neck and laughed into his mane.

Over the next couple of weeks Sam continued to improve. She had gotten to the point where she could stand on her own without the help of the braces. But that seemed as far as she could go. Try as she might she could get her legs to move on their own. She explained this to the doctor on her next visit.

Over the next couple of weeks Sam continued to improve. She had gotten to the point where she could stand on her own without the help of the braces. But that seemed as far as she could go. Try as she might she could get her legs to move on their own. She explained this to the doctor on her next visit.

Don't expect much more improvement. There was a lot of damage done. Frankly you've done great. You have surpassed the expectations we had for you. It just goes to show what hard work and determination can do."

Sam however was disappointed with the evaluation.

"You mean I'll never be able to walk again?"

"Well, I would say that you probably will not improve much more than you have. But I don't want to discourage you. Like I said, determination and hard work can work wonders. Maybe if you work hard enough, you will be able to walk normally again."

Sam nodded to show she understood, then said a good bye to the doctor. She was thoughtful as she walked out to the car. She wouldn't let what the doctor said stop her. She would keep working hard, and hopefully one day, she would be able to walk on her own.

The Phantom also seemed to be getting the same evaluation.

"He's improved a great deal. Quite frankly, I never would have thought he would make it," the vet said on one of his visits.

"He'll never be useful for anything, 'cept maybe for breeding. That shoulder will probably never heal enough for him to be able to carry a rider. The best you can probably hope for is that he can manage a lope on his own."

Sam heard the discouraging words, but she chose not to believe them. Everyday, she continued to work with the Phantom, getting him to trot and lope around his corral until his stride was smooth and there was virtually no lameness showing.

Even though the horse improved physically, Sam could tell that he was still not happy. He spent long hours gazing at the mountains that used to be his home. No matter how much time Sam spent with him, he just wouldn't settle in to his new home. Sam recognized the same look in him that she recognized in Dark Sunshine. She knew the Phantom would never be truly happy in captivity. She just wished she could find a way to tell him that he could never go back to being wild.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam worked hard at strengthening her legs, but it seemed like no matter what she did, she was never going to walk again. Attempting to relieve the depression that was threatening to overwhelm her, Sam decided one weekend to start riding again. She enlisted the help of Jake. At first she argued with Jake, saying she wanted to ride Ace. Jake refused, stating that Ace was too mischievous for her right now, and she could get hurt. Jake refused to give in and finally Sam relented to riding Popcorn, who had come such a long way that he could be trusted with even the smallest of children.

Jake saddled the horse and led him out into the round corral. Sam had to take her braces off as they were too stiff to align to the horses body as her legs would normally do. After she had taken them off Jake led Popcorn over to where she stood with her arm holding onto the fence rail for balance. At first she was embarrassed by the fact that she couldn't get on to the horse without help. But Jake took no notice as he grabbed her leg and gave her a leg up into the saddle.

Sam had expected it to be much more difficult than that. Suddenly she was in the saddle. She was riding again! She took a big breath and felt her whole body relax. This is what had been missing in her life these last 2 months.

"Now take it nice and slow," Jake cautioned her. "Your legs are still not strong enough to be able to ride at anything faster than a walk."

Sam just laughed and leaned forward to hug Popcorn. Gathering the reins, she signaled Popcorn to move out onto the rail. She tried turning him different ways, cutting across the pen, and shifting directions. She found she was fine using the reins, but if she tried to signal the horse using her legs, he couldn't understand the signal. She spent the last few minutes trying to turn Popcorn with her legs alone, but they just were not strong enough.

Jake, sensing Sams frustration, called an end to the ride. Sam had only been riding for a half hour and didn't feel like stopping. Lifting the reins she signaled Popcorn to turn away from Jake. Responding, the horse turned quickly, too quickly. Sam felt herself slipping and tried to grab on to the saddle horn. It was too late. She slid out of the saddle and could see the ground rushing up at her, when a pair of strong hands grabbed her and set her upright. Jake held her up so that she was sandwiched between himself and the horse. Unable to stand on her own, Sam was grateful for the two bodies to lean against.

Embarrassed, Sam looked up at Jake.

"Sorry. Guess it's gonna take a while before I can sit in a saddle on my own." Jake didn't say anything and Sam caught her breath as she stared up at him. His eyes narrowed and and his body tensed a split second before he lowered his head and kissed her.

This time Sam knew what to expect and she tilted her head up to meet his. She felt tingles go down her spine as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jake leaned in closer and moved his mouth over hers in a way that caused her to open her mouth slightly. Jake took advantage of the tiny movement by running his tongue over the inside of her bottom lip. At the feel of Jakes tongue inside her mouth, Sam went still. She hesitated, analyzing this new feeling. It felt like nothing she had ever felt before. She felt warm, feverish and she leaned against Jake, unsure how to react to these new emotions. She suddenly realized that she never wanted this to stop. Hesitantly, she reached her own tongue out to circle around his. A shiver went through Jakes body and he tightened his arms around her.

A slamming door broke them apart. Jake raised his head and looked around to make sure no one saw them. He stared at Sam for a long second and Sam felt her face grow hot from his scrutiny. Without saying a word, he turned and lead Popcorn back to the barn.

Still unable to move or speak, Sam watched him go. On autopilot, she sat down on the ground and started putting on her braces. She still wasn't sure what to say or do. Should she go into the barn and talk to Jake? Should she pretend the kiss hadn't even happened? She didn't like this feeling of insecurity. She focused on the anger that she felt beginning to grow when she thought about how Jake was acting. "What's wrong with him?" she huffed angrily. She may be new at this boy girl stuff, but she knew that guys were not supposed to kiss a girl then ignore her for the rest of the week. Someone needs to set him straight, she thought to herself. He needs a lesson on how to treat a girl. She knew there was no point in going into the barn and yelling at him. He would just ignore her and irritate her even more. No, she thought, what he needs is to make a choice. Either he acknowledges that I'm his girlfriend, or we just go back to being friends. She hoped he would make the first choice. As unfamiliar as these new experiences were, she enjoyed them. And if he decided to go back to being friends…well, she didn't know if she could. She couldn't help but think of what it felt like to be kissing him every time she looked at him.

She was dragged out of her thoughts by the sound of a horse coming over the bridge. She walked out of the round pen to see Jen riding Silly. Perfect, she thought. I'll tell everything to Jen and between the two of us we should be able to come up with a plan.

Jake watched from the shadow of the barn. Jen had dismounted and was talking to Sam under the shade of a tree. Great, thought Jake. Sam's probably telling Jen everything. That was what girls did wasn't it? He sighed and tried to figure out what he was going to do. After the night of the storm, he had promised himself that he wouldn't do anything like that again. But she had looked so sweet, the way she smiled up at him like that, that he couldn't help but kiss her. And once he started, well, there was no telling when he would have stopped if it hadn't been for that door slamming. For these last couple of week he couldn't get Sam out of his mind. The way she felt, the way she tasted...With an angry growl he turned away from the barn door. He had to figure out some way to get her out of his head. It would be one thing if she felt the same way, but he didn't think she did. Both times when he had kissed her she had not said a word. She just stared at him as if she was wondering what he was doing. Sure, she had kissed him back, but she was inexperienced and probably just did not know how to respond. He didn't want to see Sam hurt. The best thing, he figured, was to make sure it didn't happen again.

"So?" Sam had just told Jen the whole story from the beginning of that stormy night.

"So…I'm guessing you somehow want my help to talk to Jake?"

"That's all you have to say? Did you not hear the part about Jake kissing me? Twice! Jake. The guy I grew up with, that I have known all my life, kissed me! And you don't even look surprised?"

Jen gave Sam a knowing smile behind her glasses.

"I knew it would happen, I just didn't know when. You might have been clueless, but practically everybody has known for a long time that you two were meant for each other. It just took you guys a little longer to figure it out."

Sam was dumbfounded. She didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again when no words came out.

Jen laughed and took pity on her.

"So, you need some way to get Jake to admit that he likes you and wants to take your relationship to the next level. Jake and I may not get along, but I do know him. He's shy, and unless you tell him that you like him too, he'll never make a move. Or better yet! Show him how you feel. Pay him back! Show him what he will miss if he decides that you guys should just stay friends."

"Wait a minute" Sam tried to wrap her head around what Jen was saying. "You think I should just walk up to Jake and kiss him?"

"Well, I wouldn't advise doing it while all the ranch is watching, but yeah. And tell him he has a choice to make, either he's willing to move on to the next level, or he can be stuck just being your friend for the rest of his life."

"I can't do that!"

"You can if you ever want to be more than friends with Jake. It's up to you." With that, Jen hopped back on Silly and rode towards her home, leaving Sam mulling in her thoughts.

The next day Wyatt, Dallas, Ross, and Pepper were out riding the range. Gram, Bryanna and Cody took a trip to town. It was just Sam and Jake at the ranch. It's not or never, Sam thought nervously. Trying to get up the courage, she walked across the ranch yard to the barn. She saw Jake walk into the tack room, and she took a big breath before following him in. Jake turned to smile at her and Sam walked up to him. Before she could lose her nerve, she stood on tiptoe and touched her lips to his.

Jake immediately went still. He raised his hands and put them on her shoulders, about to move her away. Sensing this, Sam used all of her new found knowledge to entice him to kiss her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her teeth along his lower lip. She felt Jake tense. Then, with a muffled growl he dragged her up tight against him and his mouth came down on hers. This was nothing like their previous kisses. Jake kissed her as if he couldn't get enough. He pushed her against the wall and leaned his body against her. Surrounded by the solid wall on one side, and Jakes hard body on another, Sam felt shivers running up and down her body. She felt electrified, as if she was being shocked by a thousand tiny batteries. She heard a moan, and was surprised to find that it came from her. This was more intense than anything she had ever felt before and she felt as though she could never get enough.

Jake broke away and leaned his forehead against hers. He was breathing hard, they both were. As they caught their breath Sam wondered what she was supposed to say to him. As it turned out she didn't have to say anything at all.

"I've been wondering whether you actually like me or if you were just playing along so you wouldn't hurt my feelings." He gave her a tiny smile. "I guess you just answered my question."

"I do like you, and I want us to be more than friends. But if you're just going to ignore me when anyone's around, then we might as well forget about it." Sam looked up at Jake who had backed up a few steps and was watching her uncomfortably.

"Look Sam, I would like to see where this goes, but I'm not good at all that touchy feely stuff. If you're expecting me to walk around holding hands all the time, then we might as well just quit now. I'm not that type and I never will be."

Sam groaned and resisted the urge to hit him.

"Jake! That's not what I expect. I just don't want you treating me like I have the plague. In case you haven't noticed, you've been ignoring me since yesterday. I want to see where this goes too, but I still want to be friends like we've been all along. Do you think we can manage it?"

Jake gave her a slow smile.

"Of course. We're still friends. We always will be. No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you Sam."

Sam grinned up at him and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. Surrounded by Jakes strong arms, Sam didn't think that life could get any better.


	11. Chapter 11

A few weeks later Sam woke to the sun shining on her bed. Stretching, she disturbed Cougar who gave her a glare then jumped off the bed and sauntered out of the room. Feeling lazy, Sam opted for her wheelchair instead of fumbling with her braces. She moved into the kitchen and noticed a note on the table.

"Gone to Darton with Gram" Sam read in Bryanna's handwriting. The ranch hands, including Wyatt and Jake, had ridden out early this morning. She had the ranch to herself. Getting a bowl of cereal Sam wheeled out onto the front porch to enjoy the sunshine. As she ate, she watched the horses. The Phantom trotted along the fence line with his head raised. He stopped at the end and whirled around to continue trotting along the part of his fence that faced the river.

Well, he's certainly feeling good today, Sam thought to herself. She was glad to see him with such energy. She hoped it meant he was finally beginning to settle in. While he had healed to the point that only a slight awkwardness showed when he galloped, he still was not happy on the ranch. He mostly stood around staring at nothing and taking no interest in what was going on around him. He had even started becoming irritable. He was snapping at anyone who came close to the fence and Sams dad was planning on gelding him later on this week. Sam hated to see that happen, but she understood that her dad was worried about the temperament of the horse. He was dangerous the way he was now, and gelding him should calm him somewhat. Sam couldn't help but think that he would never quiet down. Like Dark Sunshine, the Phantom was made to be wild. He was meant to run on the range, away from the confines of a corral. She hated to think of the Phantom spending the rest of his life in misery like this. Even Jake agreed that the Phantom was not a happy horse.

At the thought of Jake, Sam smiled. Things were great between them, and they were closer to each other than ever before. At the last minute, Jake had found out that he had been accepted at a closer college than he had originally planned on going to. Now, he would be able to come home every weekend. He had been busy lately, between helping out her father and making plans for college, but he always managed to make time to see her. She didn't know what she would have done without him. He had been her rock through these last few months. She had finally acknowledged that she would never be able to walk normally again. With that knowledge had come a depression that was almost as strong as when she was first in the accident. Jake was right there beside her the whole time, coaxing her outside, getting her riding, showing her what was important in life.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she picked up the bowl and moved into the kitchen to put it away. She was going to go down to her room to get her braces when a commotion made her turn around and go back out onto the step. She almost forgot to breathe at what she saw. Next to the river, closer than she had even seen them, was the Phantoms herd. They milled next to the river, clearly unsure where to go. A young stallion that Sam recognized as Yellow Tail tried to move the herd back up into the mountains, but he didn't have the experience to make them go where he wanted. A scream tore her eyes away from the the herd. The Phantom, recognizing his herd ran along the fence line trying to get to them. Suddenly he twisted and threw himself against the fence trying to break free. Sam gasped and wheeled her wheelchair down the ramp, trying to get to the horse before he hurt himself. She made it down the ramp but was bogged down in the mud that was leftover from the rain the day before. She grasped the wheels and used all her strength to push the chair through the deep mud. The Phantom wheeled around and threw himself against the fence again. The metal bars rang out from the impact. When the horse came away from them this time, blood was running down his chest. Sam cried out for somebody, anybody, to help her, but the ranch was deserted. With renewed strength she tried to get to the horse, but the wheelchair only moved a couple of inches at a time. She was forced to watch as the Phantom reared up and came down on the fence, trying anything to get back to his herd. By luck alone, he managed to come away from the fence without getting caught in it. But he didn't come away completely unscathed. Blood was running from his chest down his legs, staining his silver coat. Sam sobbed, as she tried to move faster. She wouldn't be able to make it! Her horse was going to kill himself trying to break free and she wouldn't be able to get to him in time. Just then, her wheelchair went into a puddle and stuck. Try as she might, she couldn't move it.

Oh god, how was she going to get to him! She wasn't going to make it! The metal rang from another impact from the stallions body. Sam was crying, trying to drag herself from the wheelchair. She would crawl if she had to, but she would get to him. She had to! Unaware of what she was doing, only thinking about getting to her horse, she rose from the wheelchair and took a stumbling step through the mud. Then another, and another. Not thinking about what she was doing, her eyes only on her horse, she walked the final few feet to the gate and fumbled with the latch. Wrenching the gate opened she took a step back. She yelled out to the horse, but he was focused on the part of the fence closest to the herd. He threw himself against it again and got caught up in it for a moment before he wrenched himself free. Sam knew she had to get his attention. Not caring who heard, she yelled out the only thing she could think of that might drag his attention away from the horses on the other side of the river.

"Zanzibar!" At his secret name, the horse turned around to look at Sam. Seeing the open gate beside her, he bolted in her direction. Not even slowing as he went through the narrow gate, he turned in mid run and ran for the river. Sam felt the breeze from his body and smelled blood and sweat as he raced by her. He threw himself into the river and up the bank to the other side. There was no trace of lameness as he gathered the herd and drove them away from the river.

"Sam!" The yell made her turn around. She looked across the ranch yard to see Jake riding Witch at a flat out gallop towards her. Without touching the reins, Jake leaned back and Witch slid to stop a few feet in front of Sam. Before she had even stopped, Jake was leaping off of her and running to Sam. He stopped short in front of her and looked at her with an incredulous look.

"Sam! You're walking!" Sam looked down at herself. She looked over at her wheelchair and back down at herself. She felt a laugh bubbling up in her chest. She was walking! She could feel the muscles in her legs burning from even that short walk and just then her legs gave out and she started to fall forward. Jake stepped forward and caught her before she could fall. She looked up at him and gave him a brilliant smile.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Jake let out a surprised laugh. Not caring that her father, the ranch hands, or Bryanna and Gram who had just drove up were watching, he dragged her up against him and kissed her long and hard. She rested her head on his shoulder as she watched the mustangs disappear into the distance. Jake followed her gaze.

"You want me to go after him?"

"No" Sam said. "He's where he belongs now." She thought about the day out on the Playa when Ace deserted her. About the long walk home she had had in front of her and about how since the accident she felt as though she was still making that walk home. That she had never truly made it home. Until now. As she leaned against Jakes body, she felt a sense of rightness, as if finally everything was where it belonged. Yes, she thought, it had been a long walk for both her and the Phantom, but finally, they were home.

_**And that concludes my first ever fanfic! Thanks a lot to all of you guys who wrote those great reviews! Let me know what you thought of the story in general. I've got some more ideas for another one, but I think I might do a Wildfire fanfic first. Or maybe a Wild Horse Island one. Hmmm, I think Kit could do with a little romantic action, don't you think? Anyways, thanks again and I hope you enjoyed it!**_


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